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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bank — for money
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bank — for money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — an amount
  9. craft — boats
  10. mug — to rob
  11. degree — from a university
  12. firm — steady
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — help
  17. chest — of your body
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — decided
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chest — of your body
  23. firm — a company
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com